Lulu Let's Them Have It!
by Ellen33
Summary: I had a dream one night and it was Lulu putting a lot of folks in Port Charles in their place, as they were standing vigil, well, fighting outside of Dante's room. She kinda snapped and let them have it, hence the title.
1. Chapter 1

Lulu Let's 'Em Have It!

Lulu sits next to Dante's bed, her right hand on his and her left brushing his hair from his face, drained of everything inside her. Everything is dry: tear ducts, mouth, hands, skin. She's severely dehydrated; not even Patrick can tear her away from Dante's side. She can't take her eyes off him for fear she'd miss even a flutter of his beautiful long eyelashes or seeing his big brown eyes open, any movement at all whether voluntary or involuntary. The man that saved her life twice was lying in front of her and all she could do was wait beside him.

Heated voices filtered into the room. Though the door was closed, she could hear them. His parents were Italian and Costa Rican; those kind of voices carried through steel walls. The walls of the hospital were like particle board. They're fighting, fighting, fighting, she thought to herself, while he's laying here fighting for his life. He doesn't need to hear them. If she could hear them so could he, she mused. No, she hoped he could hear them then she knew he would wake up. The thought of the opposite terrified her, even more than she was now. You have to wake up, Dante, she said aloud. You have to wake up.

A loud thump on the wall shook the door to Dante's room. That's it, she thought. It's enough! She lunged up from her spot toward the door, opened it and screamed, "Stop it!" It was a primordial scream; it made everyone within ear shot shiver. Breathing hard from the force of the scream and her dehydration, Lulu looked over all the faces in front of her: Sonny, Olivia, Kate, Carly, Jason, Jax, Michael, Morgan, Christina, Luke, Lucky, Patrick, Johnny, & Sam. All of them, she thought, didn't deserve to be here.

"All of you. _All_ of you. Not another word, breath or look in the direction of this hospital room until you stop fighting."

"Lulu," Olivia started toward Lulu, laying a hand on her cheek, "Honey, you need to rest and eat a little something."

"No," Lulu backed away from Olivia, "I'm fine. I'm not the one fighting for my life."

"Cupcake," Luke looked at his daughter with actual concern, "You're so pail. At least drink something."

"I'm not speaking to you. Why are you even here? You never liked Dante anyway," Lulu pointed.

"He care's about you, honey," Olivia said as she walked to Lulu with a small plastic glass of water. "He's here for you like I'm here for Dante."

"This is not about ME!" Lulu took the water from Olivia and looked piercingly into her brown eyes and said with a firm, angry voice, "It's about Dante! And if you cared so much about Dante, none of this would have happened."

"That's not fair, Lulu," Olivia countered.

"Fair? What's not fair is that your son is laying in that hospital bed shot by his own father and he doesn't even know it. You started all of this years ago when you kept his father from him…and then when you saw him here you didn't tell him. Even when I asked you to do something you didn't do anything." Lulu took a sip of the water.

"I did try, Lulu," Olivia countered, "I did try. I was in an impossible sit…"

"No, Olivia. It wasn't impossible. You had a choice to tell them and you didn't." Lulu interrupted, her voice slowly became hard and direct. "You could've stopped this at any time, and you didn't. You kept secret after secret and now your son, your _baby_, is laying in that room fighting for his life while you're here fighting with his father about what? What are you fighting about? Whose fault it is? All of you! The answer is all of you!" Her arms flailed and the water glass flew from her hands to the floor.

"Lulu, Olivia was just…" Johnny started to defend Olivia.

"You, too," Lulu interrupted, unphased at Johnny's defense or her own water throwing skill. "You're to blame, too, Johnny. You knew and you pushed and you pressured and you used Dante to get your revenge on Sonny." Lulu wiped her hair out of her face. Her anger had grown to the point that whatever water was left in her body was pouring out of her as sweat. Her hair clung to the sides of her face and forehead distracting her briefly. She closed her eyes briefly, gathered herself with a deep breath and continued, "And for what? Claudia? Claudia? Your psycho sister who tried to kill Sonny but shot Michael instead, then tried to kill him again? And when she was caught, she kidnapped Carly and tried to steal her baby? That's who you did all this for? Come on, Johnny. You disowned your father. CLAUDIA WAS WORSE. Why protect her? She was nuts and a nuisance and sorry, but this world is better without her."

Lulu was shaking now; the anger, pain, dehydration and adrenaline were consuming her. She felt a little faint.

"Lulu, calm down," Carly interjected, "you're going to faint."

"Yes, you should sit down," Jax added.

"First," Lulu collecting herself, "I'm not going to faint. Second, _Jax_, this is your fault as well. You knew, too. You knew and you pressured Dante from the beginning. He confided in me about all your "hop to it" meetings…."

"What?! You _knew_?" Carly interrupted, her attention directed towards Jax.

"Oops. Sorry, Jax. The cat's out of the bag. Guess you should've told the truth, too. Another secret. Secrets! Too many secrets!" Lulu was yelling now.

"Lulu, calm down. They're right, you need to sit down and at least drink something," Patrick chimed in, trying to help her into a chair. Lulu started laughing and shoved his hands away from her.

"His doctor," she laughed, "even his doctor knew who his parents were. You could've stopped this month's ago after the carnival. You could've used your medical position to force the kidney tests. We all know you're an arrogant, brilliant surgeon. Why was Dante's case any different? Why didn't you at least force the family to have tests done? Olivia would've had to tell Sonny or you could've done it for her!"

"It wasn't my place to reveal that information. And Dante didn't need the transplant."

"That's no excuse Patrick," Lulu countered, "how would you feel if Emma were on her deathbed and she didn't know you were her father? Would you want to know? Did you think of Sonny in all this? His oldest child just saved his own brother…and none of them knew it? You should've done what Olivia didn't or couldn't."

"It's not fair to blame Patrick. He did his job the best way he could," Robin said.

"Maybe you're right, Robin, but you're not Dante. And you aren't lying in that bed, again, having been shot by his own father…who your husband could have identified month's ago so none of this ever would've happened," Lulu's retort was harsh.

"The man in that room is not my brother. How do you know anyway? Did you do a paternity test?" Michael seethed.

Lulu walked over to him, rage in her eyes, and slapped him hard.

"You don't say another word. The man in there is a better man than you'll ever be. You're downright lucky that you get to be his brother because you're a coward, Michael. When you're hurt, you run away. When you're angry, you hide behind Sonny. The man laying in that room, not knowing he was _your_ brother, agonized over taking your father away from you, over using you in any way. It pained him to be so deceitful with you, and you, too, Morgan, Kristina. He saw how much Sonny loved all of you and you loved him. But at the end of the day, he believed that your father would be better behind bars and out of your lives."

"Sonny's _our_ father. Dante has no right to make that decision for us. Dad has respect and power…" Michael defended.

"…He's a coward, Michael, and a killer. And you're an idiot not to see that and to want to be like him. None of what Sonny does makes him respected or powerful. It makes him weak and a criminal. I finally see that now. I see exactly who you are, Sonny. You may be my dad's best friend but you are no friend of mine anymore." She had turned to Sonny by then and gave him a look that could drop a man dead in his tracks.

"Do you see what kind of son you raised? Michael is a punk. He wants to be like you only he doesn't understand what that really means. He is so off-base. He needs help, Sonny, psychological help. Take it from me, I know. I see it. I've seen it since he first came out of the coma. And by the way, you are not a licensed therapist. You can't help him. You've just made him worse. The man in that room is his brother, _your son_, and he hates him. You even liked Dominic before you found out he was your son. Why was that, Sonny? Why?"

"I don't know. There was just something about him. I trusted him."

"And you've never trusted Michael. He's the most like you so why don't you trust him, your so-called #1 son? Because you know he is already like you too much. You know that you are not the father that you needed to be for Michael. Look at Michael, Sonny. LOOK AT HIM!" she yelled at Sonny. "He may not look like you but he's all you. It's like looking in the mirror, isn't it? It's scary, isn't it?"

Sonny didn't answer…his face stone as ever, but his eyes were getting glassy.

"And Kristina? She hates you. She's a smart girl. She knows what you are and she's trying to stay away from you any way she can. And Morgan, well, Morgan is just young enough to learn from the choices of his brother, sister and father. Still, he loves you, Sonny. But he's young enough that he can be saved from you. And you know why? Because of the man laying in that hospital room. Your first son. Dante is all the good you are not. He is the role model that you are not. Without your influence, he became everything that you have tried to be your whole life. It's actually hilarious to me that he became a cop, the very opposite of you. And for that, Olivia," she turns to her, and continues, "I guess I have to thank you for raising him and for keeping him away from Sonny. Maybe I should forgive you, maybe Dante should forgive you. But the man that I love is in there because his father, who didn't know he was his father, shot him! That's still on you, Olivia. Your son's father shot him because of you."

Light-headed, Lulu started to sway a little then. The emotion she felt started to really affect her ability to stand up. Luke and Lucky rushed over to her and tried to balance her. She pushed them both away and after a few moments was able to steady herself.

"You know, neither of you deserve to be here either. Lucky, Dante saved your butt at work and Luke, Dante saved my life, twice, and you didn't even thank him. You weren't around. Dante is always around. He's always saving me, instead of putting me in positions _to be saved_." Turning to Lucky, Lulu continued, "You want to be like him?," pointing to Luke, "Really? You want to spiral your way down to be like our father, a loser who chooses to chase the Cassadine's all over the globe instead of stick around and be our dad? Really? And Elizabeth is the reason why? A woman whose sons aren't even yours, who's cheated on you more times than I can count and who is in love with your brother? Really? You see? I can't even depend on you, my own brother."

Lulu was spent; she had nothing left. Her voice, though much softer than before, was firm.

"No. The only person that has shown loyalty and is honorable, even humble at times despite himself, the only real man here is laying in that bed fighting for his life. And he doesn't need family and friends like you in his life…though if you were in trouble he'd save you, too. That's who he is. I'm done. I'm just done with you all. I suggest if you want to be a part of his life, or mine, you take a good look at yourself and at him and you make the changes you need to make. He was willing to put his life on the line for what is right. I can't see any of you doing that. He saved me and with everything I have left I will save him, even if that means saving him from all of you."

Lulu turned and walked back in Dante's room to the chair she had lived in for the past three days. She laid her head on the bed near his right lung, her hands again on his, and resting the weight of her weary body against the side of the bed.

"Are…you…done?" were the next words she heard. They were slow and faint but deep. No one had entered the room; and the voice was all too familiar. She looked over at Dante. She could see his big brown eyes through his half open eyelids and a faint smile graced his lips. The anesthesia had finally worn off. The tears that she thought were dried up started to run down her cheeks, and she caught her breath. He was awake!


	2. Chapter 2

"Dante!" Lulu gasped, relieved and excited to see her hero awake.

With a weak voice, Dante said, "Shhh…don't say that too loud." Lulu was holding his right hand now and brushing his hair with her left hand again, smiling brilliantly at him. "I mean, I love that you finally used my real name but this isn't the time." His words came slow.

Lulu leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on his lips then his forehead. "Don't worry about that right now. No one else is in here or can hear us. Just give me a few moments to enjoy this, Dante," she said to him in a soft voice.

"I do love to hear my name come from your lips," he said as he winced and adjusted his body in the bed.

"What's wrong," Lulu asked, her smile immediately disappearing. Lulu's light brown eyes darted over him, looking for any indication of where the pain was coming from.

Dante lifted his left hand toward his head where the stitches were, and said, "My head really hurts."

Lulu grabbed his left hand and pinned it down before he could touch the stitches. "No, don't do that. Let me get Patrick. You don't want to bust your stitches." Lulu got up and walked to the door quickly, opened it and called for Patrick.

"Patrick, Dante's awake and his head is hurting him," Lulu announced to the swarm of people outside Dante's room, concern in her voice.

Patrick and Olivia darted into the room past Lulu. She followed close behind, pulling the door closed behind her. She felt a jerk before she could fully close it and turned around quickly to see why. Sonny had grabbed the door and yanked it back open, forcing himself into the room.

"Sonny," Lulu started, but it was too late. He was already in the room.

Patrick was already checking Dante out, Olivia on the other side of the bed. Lulu was next to her; Sonny was at the foot of the bed.

"Ouch, doc, be gentle. I just got shot," Dante joked.

"It would help if you held still, Dante," Patrick scolded. "You were really lucky that the bullet went through your skull at the angle it did otherwise you wouldn't be feeling anything at all."

"Dante, baby, quit being stubborn for once in your life and listen to Patrick," Olivia instructed her son, tears were welling in her eyes as the love she clearly had for her son was playing across her face.

"What is with everyone calling me Dante? Are you guys all crazy?" Dante said with his usual what-the-hell face.

"Never mind that," Olivia started, "We'll explain later."

"Whoa! What is he doing in here? He shot me!" Dante said, irritated as soon as he saw Sonny standing in the room. "He's supposed to be in jail! What the hell is going on here?"

"Settle down, Dante," Patrick calmed him, "Right now, you need to rest." Patrick turned to Olivia, Sonny and Lulu, "I need you all to leave the room while I finish checking Dante out. I'll let you know when you can come back in."

After they left the room, and still clearly agitated, Dante said, "Doc, what is going on?"

"You mean the Dante thing? Your mom will tell you about that I assume. As it pertains to your injury, you really were very lucky that the angle the gun was pointed was off the mark. Otherwise, you'd be dead and Sonny _would_ be in jail."

"Yeah, why is that? Why is Sonny not in jail? It makes no sense," Dante questioned.

"Olivia or Lulu will have to tell you that, too. But you can't worry about that right now. You do have to rest. You have been under the anesthesia for three days and though you are awake now, you will feel very tired for awhile. You will need to rest a lot and stay away from unnecessary stress, which for you right now, may be a very tall order. I'll let you have visitors in awhile."

Dante looked at his doctor inquisitively but decided not to ask him what he meant by his last comment. "Thanks, Doc. Hey, did you say my mom, Olivia?"

"Yes, I know Olivia is your mom. I've known for awhile but I kept your secret because she asked me to. The rest they'll tell you later. Rest." Patrick left Dante, who was confused about every single thing in his life at the moment: he survived a gun shot to the head, his doctor knew Olivia was his mom, the man who shot him was visiting in the hospital and looked concerned, and it seemed that everyone knew his name was really Dante and not Dominic. Nothing he knew about his life could be trusted. He wondered if there was even anyone he could trust.

A moment later, the door opened slowly and revealed the only person Dante knew he could trust, Lulu. The cute, brown-eyed blonde poked her head in before fully ensconcing herself back into his room, making sure she wasn't interrupting his slumber. The wide, glowing smile that filled his face told her she was forgiven for interrupting.

"Looks like someone's still awake," she said slyly as she walked to the side of his bed.

"I couldn't sleep. You weren't here by my side to protect me from all the big bad people outside my door," he joked with his deep, soft voice, the words still coming slowly.

"You did hear all that, didn't you?"

"Yeah. You were pretty angry but it turned me on so I'm not complaining," he smiled at her again, those big brown eyes gleaming at her seductively.

A large, bashful smile spread across Lulu's face. "You have been a good little soldier, haven't you," she said, then whispered, "Officer Falconeri." They lingered looking at each other for a few moments before she continued, in a more serious tone, "I just couldn't take the fighting anymore. You just don't need all of that nonsense…not with what you've done for everyone, for them, for me." She was caressing his face now, so grateful that the man she was in love with was speaking again.

"It almost got us killed though," he looked away from her then.

"I don't believe that for one moment," Lulu turned his head back toward her. "You're a good cop, Dante. You are who you are supposed to be and that comes with risks. You know it and I know it." Lulu stopped for a moment, grabbing his right hand with both of hers and kissing it before continuing, "I'm so proud of you and enamored by your strength, your fight, your conscience. You have done everything with so much concern with everyone involved. I'm so lucky to get to fall in love with you."

She stopped and watched as Dante's face brightened. "Yes, I'm in love with you, Dante. I don't want you to doubt that I love you. I did before all this but I couldn't say it." She stopped, and looked down for a few moments, a little embarrassed that she hadn't said it before now. "I wasn't scared to show you but I was scared to say the words. But you pushed me away that night…"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't…" he started to explain.

"No, shhh, no. I know why you did it that night and I still know why now…and I understand. It just made it easier for me to protect myself a little longer." Her voice was soft and emotional. "But I regret not telling you then. I regret not staying and making you see what we already were. But we've been given a second chance and I'm not going to let either of us mess it up, or anyone else."

Dante reached his right hand to her face and held it there. She rubbed it in his hands, her left hand cupping over his.

"It feels so good for you to touch me again," she whispered. "To speak to me, to see your smile and to hear you breathe," she looked directly into his eyes then and with a soft but firm tone said, "So, there will be no more of you pushing me away because of your job. It won't happen and, listen to me very carefully, I want it to be clear that I will not stand for it ever again."

"Well, I'm in no position to argue with you, now am I?" he smiled at her.

"No, and you wouldn't be even if you were out of this bed," she told him matter-of-factly.

"Mmmm, that makes me think that maybe instead of me in here all by myself that you should be in bed with me. You know, to comfort me," he said, his flirtatious persona clearly returning to its rightful place amongst them.

Lulu laughed, "Now how come you couldn't have let me in your bed before now. I tried so hard to stay out of it and then when I was ready to be tangled up in your sheets, and you," she breathed, "You threw me out. Now I can't be in here with you at all because you're recovering from being shot," Lulu looked him up and down hungrily and said, "though I wouldn't mind checking out how thin that hospital robe really is on you."

"Why would that hold you back?" He asked, slyly.

"Mmmm, because you couldn't handle me. Your blood pressure would skyrocket and send Patrick in here all worried," she flirted.

"I think my blood pressure is already spiking," he said as he took her hand and pulled her body close to him so he could kiss her. She let him kiss her briefly before she pulled away.

"Restrain yourself, Officer," Lulu joked, "or else I'll have to report you to the authorities."

He laughed and licked his lips. Before anything else could happen, the door opened and Olivia walked in.

"Is it okay to come in?" Olivia asked with an uneasy, concerned look on her face. Her eyes revealed a desire to tear uncontrollably but stopped short of crying.

Dante watched as Lulu's face grew cold towards his mom. He hadn't heard everything but knew that his mom had done something pretty bad for Lulu to have gone off like she did. For that matter, there were a lot of people that Lulu suddenly hated and he really didn't know why. He'd just come out of the anesthesia and was still groggy when he heard Lulu's voice carry throughout the hospital, or so he mused. The words were fuzzy still; but maybe his mom could shed some light.

"Yeah, ma," Dante said, averting his eyes from Lulu's face to Olivia's.

"I'll leave you two alone for a bit," Lulu looked back at Dante and kissed his cheek before she left the room. Dante noticed Lulu give Olivia a death stare as she walked out and closed the door behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

"She doesn't like you too much right now, Ma, and I don't have a clue why," Dante noted.

Olivia was sitting in Lulu's chair by then and reached to her sons face, holding it in her hands.

"I know but she has her reasons and I respect her for that, but," Olivia continued, "right now what's important is that you are alive and awake and talking to me." Olivia's eyes watered and tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Oh, baby, I can't tell you how happy I am that you are…" Olivia couldn't finish.

"I know, Ma. It was really close. When I saw that Sonny knew I was a cop, it was like my heart stopped. The look in his eyes. It was so fast. No one else was there and he pulled out the gun so fast…" Dante started to recount.

"Stop right there, Dante," Olivia wiped the tears from her eyes. "I know what happens next. I saw him pull the trigger."

"Ma…"

"No, honey, it's okay. I just need you to know something," Olivia stopped her son's speech and collected herself. What she was about to tell him was another lie but this time it was the right lie.

"What is it, Ma," Dante looked at her.

"You know I love you right?" She looked at him with watery eyes, dreading what she was about to tell him.

"Yeah, I love you, too, but what are you trying to tell me."

"You are still undercover. Sonny doesn't know that you're a cop." Olivia spoke the words quickly, as if she'd been holding them in too long.

"What? Wait! He shot me because he found out. That's why I'm in this bed," Dante said, genuinely confused.

"Not exactly," Olivia hesitated a bit.

"Not exactly? Okay, I know I got shot in the head but I know I didn't lose that many brain cells. Ma, what are you talking about?" Dante started to get animated.

"Calm down, baby," Olivia soothed her son, grabbing his mobile hands and resting them back on the bed. "I'm trying to explain. Okay, so Spinelli isn't the only brilliant hacker in this world. Ronnie talked to your superiors and found that the prosecutor, after the warrant was issued, decided that the evidence still wasn't enough to convict Sonny…"

"Not enough?!" Dante's agitation set in.

"Wait. Calm down. The evidence isn't enough to convict Sonny. Honey, they want Sonny bad and they want it neat and clean and with no loopholes. So, some FBI computer guy left Spinelli a trail to lead Jason to believe that you were used by the FBI to get Sonny to make a mistake. Jason and Sonny now think that you were set up by the Feds and were never working for the cops."

"So, what are you saying, Ma? I'm still undercover?" Dante asked.

"Yes. I don't like it but yes, you're still undercover." Olivia looked directly at Dante and told him the one thing she wish she didn't have to.

"But I showed him my badge. I claimed that I was a cop. Sonny's not stupid, Ma," Dante pointed out.

"There's no name to the badge. It's reported _stolen_. Somehow, that was enough for Sonny," she added, "You're cover is safe for now."

"No. I'm done. I almost died this time and Lulu…" Dante argued.

"Honey, leave Lulu out of this for right now. The man that just shot you thinks that you are loyal to him and he's devastated that he'd make such a big mistake. He got too emotional and wasn't thinking and not only realized he may have shot a cop but shot one of his loyal soldiers. Someone he knows has proven himself trustworthy to him over and over again. It's the perfect opportunity to cement yourself into his business more than you already have. Didn't he tell you that he wanted to give you the business?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Am I hearing you right?" Dante stopped his mom, surprised at what she was saying to him. "You want me to stay undercover and to stay in the mob to take down Sonny? Forgive me, but I'm a little confused. Isn't Sonny one of your oldest friends? Haven't you tried to get me off the case, out of town and spared Sonny what he rightfully deserved, being locked behind bars and the key lost?"

"Call me stupid or crazy but I never thought he would ever try to kill you. I never thought he'd do anything that stupid especially to the cop who was about to arrest him. I see now that he truly has no redemption in him, Dante. None. And I want him behind bars and away from you, his kids and everyone he loves. He's caused enough pain to enough people so you do what you have to do and get him off the streets and behind bars." Olivia's voice was a hard whisper and packed with anger and determination.

"There's one more thing," Olivia's voice softened. "He does know that you are my son. That could help you gain his trust again, too. He's already upset that he hurt you, my son."

"Wow, that's some development," Dante's head was full of pain, confusion and unbelief at the turn of events that had transpired during the three days of his unconsciousness.

"Listen, baby, I know that you have been angry at my defense of Sonny. There were reasons for that then but I assure you as clearly as there is day and night that all of my support, love and concern are solely for you. There is nothing that I will not do to protect you and only you from this point forward. You know that it's always been that way, Dante. But I've had a soft spot for Sonny and that has caused you to not trust me when it came to this investigation. That is over. I want you to know that you can completely trust me to be behind, beside, and in front or wherever you need me to be. I love you, Dante. You are my baby and no one is going to hurt you again. I'd die before I let that happen."

Dante laughed at his mom's last words, "Okay, don't be so dramatic. No one will be dying. Not anymore." He looked at his mom with fresh eyes and saw that she really meant what she said. He believed she'd sacrifice herself for him.

"I love you, Ma. You are an incredible woman," Dante said, truthfully.

"Yes, I am, and don't you forget it. Now listen to your ma and don't think about anything right now. You need to rest. I'm gonna go talk to Patrick and you, sleep."

"Okay. I love you, Ma."

"I love you, too, baby." She leaned down, kissed her son's cheek and left the room.

Next Chapter: Lulu vs. Sonny.


	4. Chapter 4

Lulu didn't like the fact that she was leaving Dante's room with Olivia in it; but she was his mother and she knew what it was like to not have one so present in her life. He did, and as much as Lulu didn't agree with anything that Olivia had done, she knew that he needed his mom right now and that Olivia did what she thought was right for her son. Plus, she was very aware of how weak she was and that she needed sustenance. As she walked toward the cafeteria, Sonny was walking toward her with a Danish and coffee in his hands.

He stopped Lulu and offered them to her. "Uh, I thought that you should eat something," he said in his normal monotonous voice, then added, "My son needs you to be strong for him."

"Your son? You know, I don't even know what else to say to you. I don't even want to look at you or be anywhere near you, Sonny," her voice was weak and drained. She'd taken the food from him because she was too weak to turn them down, and she was still standing in front of him because she was too tired to walk any further.

"I know, and I understand that. But I don't know what to do here. I just found out that Dominic is my son, someone that I trusted then thought was the enemy and shot," Sonny tried to defend himself, his voice slightly raised but still monotone.

"Am I supposed to have pity for you? Because I don't. Dante's better off not knowing you're his father. But I guess it's too late for that since everyone knows now," she countered.

"Look, I know you hate me Lulu," Sonny started.

"Hate is not the only word to describe how I'm feeling right now towards you, Sonny," Lulu interrupted. "Anger, loathing, disgust, disappointment, nauseous, livid, murderous, disdain, ashamed…"

"Ashamed?"

"Yes, I'm ashamed that I ever trusted you or ever turned a blind eye to who you really are. I regret ever defending you to anyone for any reason. You never deserved any of it," her voice increased in volume and intensity.

"I deserve that. I know you're angry but it doesn't help my son if you're…" Lulu didn't let him finish.

"There you go again with your son! Dante may be your son by blood but he's nothing like you. He will never be like you, Sonny!" Lulu was almost yelling now.

"Hey, hey," Olivia had walked out of Dante's room and had closed in on the conversation down the hall. "Keep your voices down."

"Why?" Lulu countered sarcastically.

"Because Dante doesn't know that Sonny is his father yet. I didn't tell him," she explained.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Sonny asked.

"Look, just because you're his father doesn't mean you can question me or any of my decisions. But to answer your question, our son just woke up from a gunshot wound that you gave him because you thought he'd been disloyal to you. I'm not going to tell him anything until he's recovered more and neither are either of you," Olivia stated.

"What did you tell him?" Lulu asked.

"Just that everyone knows that I'm his mom and that Sonny knows that he wasn't disloyal. And that is all he is going to know for now," Olivia looked at Lulu directly, clueing her in that Dante knew the plan.

"Olivia, he's going to know soon enough. Lulu announced it to the whole hospital," Sonny pointed out.

"Maybe but I can control who goes in and out of that room and Patrick has agreed to not say anything until I say it's okay," Olivia said, wiping her forehead as was usual when she was tired and frustrated. "I'm tired of doing damage control," she turned to Sonny and warned, "Don't give me anything else to fix, Sonny. Keep your mouth shut for now."

"Because he's my son and I want him to get better soon, I'll shut up, for now. But I won't sit on the sidelines long. You know that, Olivia," Sonny said then walked away from the two women that loved his son enough to lie to hiss face.

"Okay, so now that Sonny is gone, what exactly did you tell Dante?" Lulu asked.

"He knows everything except that Sonny is his father," Olivia answered.

"How in the world are you going to keep that from him when everyone knows that Sonny's his father already?" Lulu asked confused and frustrated.

"Look, I'm gonna tell him but I have to do it right. He's not going to react well and we need him to agree to stay undercover," Olivia explained. "Sonny needs to be behind bars and out of all of our lives for good."

"He hates Sonny and I'd think that with him shooting him that he'd want to take Sonny down."

"Are you forgetting that Dante's gonna learn that he does have a father, that I lied to him about it his entire life and that he got close enough to Sonny before to waver in his investigation?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah, he did consider many times what it would do to his kids and that Sonny did love his kids and was trying to keep Michael out of the business because of it," Lulu admitted.

"Exactly. My son has a conscience, which is great. But it doesn't work for us in this situation. It's a blessing and a curse," Olivia said.

"Yeah, but once he knows that Michael, Morgan and Christina are his brothers and sister, he'll want to protect them. If we point out that, too, that Sonny was willing to kill him, anyone, for betraying him that should be enough to get him to agree to stay undercover," Lulu said.

"Good point but 'we' nothing. You are going to stay out of this, Lulu. If you get hurt any more than you already are, my son will kill me. And I'm not kidding. No, you need to stay out of it, Lulu," Olivia scolded.

"Look, Olivia, I'll tell you the same thing that I told Dante many times, I do what I want. And when it comes to your son, I take no instruction from anybody, including him," Lulu said as she left and walked back to Dante's room.

"Oy vey," Olivia breathed. "No wonder he loves that girl."

Chapter 5

Dante's eyes were closed and he was breathing gently when Lulu tiptoed into his room and sat quietly on the chair. She set down the coffee on his small rolling bedside table and proceeded to tear a small piece off the Danish. As she took the first bit, Dante opened his eyes and remarked, "Coffee and donuts? Wow, we're a little cliché."

Lulu smiled through her bite, trying not to spit it out as she giggled slightly from his comment. "Yeah, well, I'm hungry and there aren't many options in the hospital. Plus your fa-" she stopped herself from finishing the sentence in which she would've told him about the biggest secret of his life and stuffed another bite of Danish in her mouth.

"My what?" Dante asked innocently after she stopped mid-sentence.

"Oh, I was just going to say that your favorite Danish was in the machine so I thought of you and figured that's what I would eat," Lulu saved. Wow, she thought, that was lame.

"O-kay, well, can I have some?"

"No," Lulu took the Danish away from his reach, "Patrick has you on a liquid diet still. You can't have this, or the coffee."

"Come on, give a cop a break!"

"No. You've been awake for like, what, 2 hours after being unconscious for the last three days?" Lulu countered. "Uh-uh. You will have to wait a few more days for your coffee and donuts, officer." She smiled at him and lingered in place for a few moments. They were both silent as the reality of the situation hit them both.

"You know it was Sonny, right?" Dante's voice was serious and low, a slight anger crossing his face.

"Yeah, I know. Olivia told us. It was rough for her to see you lying there," Lulu answered.

"She was there?" Dante asked.

"Yes. She saw him shoot you," Lulu said.

"What?! She saw it?"

"Yes. She said she walked in, heard Sonny say "Goodbye, detective" or something like that, then she ran in as he fired. She said you dropped right away and she thought you were dead right there."

"Oh, ma!" he winced and laid his hands on his head, rubbing his hair as he was accustomed to do when upset or frustrated. The thought of his mom witnessing Sonny shoot him angered him.

"She's okay. I think she kept her cool pretty well because apparently she ran to your side, checked your pulse and realized you were still alive. I guess Sonny helped get you to the hospital, too."

"He helped? After he shot me?"

"I don't know all the details," she lied. "That's all I know and all I care to know."

"He helped?" Dante asked again, this time to no one in particular.

"You need to ask Olivia when she comes back. I'm sure she can fill you in," Lulu said. "But right now, I think you need to rest and not think about Sonny or anything else."


	5. Chapter 5

Dante's eyes were closed and he was breathing gently when Lulu tiptoed into his room and sat quietly on the chair. She set down the coffee on his small rolling bedside table and proceeded to tear a small piece off the Danish. As she took the first bite, Dante opened his eyes and remarked, "Coffee and donuts? Wow, we're a little cliché."

Lulu smiled through her bite, trying not to spit it out as she giggled slightly from his comment. "Yeah, well, I'm hungry and there aren't many options in the hospital. Plus your fath-" she stopped herself from finishing the sentence in which she would've told him about the biggest secret of his life and stuffed another bite of Danish in her mouth. As much as she wanted him to know who his father really was, it wasn't her secret to tell. But if Olivia didn't tell him soon, Lulu thought, there's no way she was going to keep her mouth shut for long.

"My what?" Dante asked innocently after she stopped mid-sentence.

"Oh, I was just going to say that there was only one of your favorite Danish left in the machine so I thought that it was destined for me," Lulu saved. Wow, she thought, that was lame.

"O-kay, well, can I have some?"

"No," Lulu took the Danish away from his reach, "I'm certain Patrick would not allow you to eat real food yet. You can't have this, or the coffee."

"Come on, give a cop a break!"

"No. You've been awake for like, what, 2 hours after being unconscious for the last three days?" Lulu countered. "Uh-uh. You will have to wait a few more days for your coffee and donuts, officer." She smiled at him and let her eyes linger in their gaze into his for a few moments. He returned the gaze as the reality of their situation hit them both.

"You know it was Sonny, right?" Dante's voice was serious and low, a slight anger crossing his face.

"Yeah, I know. Olivia told us. It was rough for her to see you lying there," Lulu answered.

"She was there?" Dante asked.

"Yes. She saw him shoot you," Lulu said.

"What?! She saw it?"

"Yes. She said she walked in, heard Sonny say "Goodbye, detective" or something like that, then she ran in as he fired. She said you dropped right away and she thought you were dead right there."

"Oh, ma!" he winced and laid his hands on his head, rubbing his hair as he was accustomed to do when upset or frustrated. The thought of his mom witnessing Sonny shoot him angered him.

"She's okay. I think she kept her cool pretty well because apparently she ran to your side, checked your pulse and realized you were still alive. I guess Sonny helped get you to the hospital, too."

"He helped? _After_ he shot me?"

"I don't know all the details," she lied. "That's all I know and all I care to know," she lied again.

"He helped?" Dante asked again, this time to no one in particular.

"You need to ask Olivia when she comes back. I'm sure she can fill you in," Lulu said. "But right now, I think you need to rest and not think about Sonny or anything else."

"Okay, so then I'll just talk about you then, my favorite subject," Dante flirted.

"Um, yeah, so no. You need to sleep," she said.

"Don't get me wrong but you're looking like you need to as well. You don't look so good," he pointed out.

"Oh really?" Lulu responded, her eyes a little wide with a slight, I can't-believe-you-just-said-that expression on her face.

"No, no, no, you know what I mean…you know I think you're beautiful but you look very tired," Dante covered half laughing, half embarrassed at what he said.

"That's because I've been worried about you," she averted her eyes then, the reality of his recent brush with death finally hitting her hard. The tears started to well, and Dante noticed though her head was turned half away from him.

"Hey, hey," he said softly, "I didn't mean to upset you," he started to wipe the tears away he could reach.

"I'm fine, just a little tired, that's all," she strengthened herself, and finished wiping the tears that escaped away.

"Have you eaten anything or gotten any sleep since I've been in here?" he asked. He was beginning to realize that Lulu may have been at his bedside since the shooting.

"I've dozed off here and there but I just couldn't really sleep until I knew you were okay," Lulu said softly. The concern in her voice was very telling to Dante.

"Lulu, have you even left the hospital?"

"No. Maxie brought me what I needed. People can say what they want about her, but she's been a good friend to me and she's taken everything amazingly well…"Lulu began.

"Taken everything well? Lulu, my spider detective senses are tingling. You are not telling me something," Dante said as he waved his hands around his head.

"Well, it's not hard to figure out. I kept your secret and Maxie wasn't too pleased when she found out…."

"Yeah, right, Spinelli," Dante finished, then added, "But my spider senses are still tingling because I know that Raynor covered those tracks…and I've gotten to know you too well to know when you're holding something back," Dante countered.

"You're too good of a cop for your own good, and too cocky. You wouldn't be in this bed if you weren't such a good cop, or had the sense to call for back up," Lulu replied.

"Nice try," he smiled at her, knowing she was trying to change the subject.

"Mmmm, well, no matter how hard you try, you aren't going to get anything else from me, officer," Lulu smiled back with a little laugh, and added, "You'll have to arrest me."

"That can be arranged," Dante flirted back, grabbing her wrist gently and pulling her slightly to him.

"Maybe, but not now," Lulu leaned close to his face but jimmied her wrist out of his, "you are handcuffed to this bed for now." Then she gave him two soft, slow kisses.

When she pulled away, he breathed out a little and held her forehead against his with his left hand on the back of her head. "Not fair," he whispered, his eyes closed.

"I should go. I can see that I'm not doing you any good here by distracting you from getting the rest you need," she pulled away from his grip a bit, so touched and full of love for the man that had saved her both physically and emotionally.

"You are the best distraction that I could hope for," Dante said, his eyes piercing hers.

She couldn't help but smile at him. He truly was in love with her, and she knew that she would never take advantage of that love ever again. Lulu leaned down to him again, and this time kissed him a little longer, and ended it with, "I love you, Dante."

She started to walk for the door as he said to her, "Just remember that I said it first." Lulu turned around, gave him a little smirk and left the room, leaving Dante with a huge smile on his face.

Next Chapter: Sonny, Dante, Lulu


	6. Chapter 6

Lulu didn't want to leave the hospital but she didn't know where else to go. Her first foray was to the cafeteria but that housed some of the people she couldn't stand to look at right now and she didn't want to answer any of their questions or talk to any of them. She excused herself from their presence and wandered to the gift shop, where she was reminded by some of the little trinkets of Dante's flirtations early in their relationship. Still with coffee left and half of the Danish, she lingered in the gift shop for what seemed to her like a few hours but it had been more like 20 minutes.

Lulu finally found herself at the nurse's station. The waiting room was just off the nurse's station and looked empty, though the door was closed. She could get some needed privacy from the chaos around her and Dante could get some much needed shut eye. Upon entering, however, Lulu's eyes spotted a young, dark haired boy sitting on the couch. He was slumped over with his hands on his head. He is so much like Dante, she mused. Morgan's mannerisms and his personality reflected that of his new, older brother. Lulu couldn't help but notice the resemblances now and her heart filled with concern over the young man.

"Morgan?" Lulu entered quietly and closed the door gently. Morgan looked up at her, revealing sad eyes. There had been crying but only traces of it were left. In its place was a sadness that made her heart cry and an emotional pain that no child should endure. They were still blood shot and his voice when he spoke was softer than normal.

In almost a raspy whisper, Morgan greeted, "Hi, Lulu."

"What are you doing in here by yourself? Where is everyone?" she asked softly, as she took a seat next to him, laying her purse, what was left of her Danish and coffee on the coffee table in front of them.

"Mom's getting me something to eat. Michael left and I think Dad is in with Dante," he answered with no feeling. He turned his body more toward her and asked, "How is Dante, Lulu? Is he hurting?"

"He's okay. He's more awake now and he's on pain medication so he's not feeling much pain at all," she answered him.

"You know he's my brother, right?" Morgan told her, his voice slightly above a whisper now.

"Yes, I know he's your brother. How do you feel about that?" Lulu wanted to know how this young man was dealing with all the drama. Morgan was such a good boy. He had his faults like everyone else but he'd never really identified much with his other brother, Michael. From the first time that Dante and Morgan had met, even with a gun pointed at him, the two connected. She was reliving Dante's telling of his short-lived Corinthos family hostage crisis, when Morgan finally answered her.

"I like Dominic, I mean Dante. But I don't know if I should or not." Morgan paused for a moment and Lulu kept silent, knowing he wanted to say something else from his expression. "Did he know, Lulu?"

"Did he know what?" She asked, not certain what secret he was asking about.

"Did he know that I was his brother? I'm confused." Morgan asked.

"No, he didn't know that you were brothers or that Sonny was his father, too," she responded.

"So, he didn't know about us being his family but he still saved me and dad and you," he stated. Morgan's voice was steadier and at his normal volume now. Lulu could see that there was a little light returning to the sad eyes. It was just a glimmer though. There was much more that Morgan needed to work through.

"Yes. He's a good man," Lulu said.

"I think he is, too. But dad shot him. He shot him because he is a cop, right?" Lulu could almost see the wheels in Morgan's mind turning as he was trying, finally, to work out the events that transpired three days ago in his father's house.

"Yes," Lulu's answer was short, as it needed to be right now.

"But that's still not right, Lulu. I know there were a lot of things that Dominic, Dante, knew about dad but is it right to shoot him? Dad said he liked Dante," Morgan said to Lulu.

"I can't tell you why your dad would shoot someone that he knew is a cop. It doesn't make sense to me either but the important thing, Morgan, is that Dante is still alive and that I can tell you that through everything he did, Dante always thought about you and Michael and Kristina. But in the end, he had to do what was right and that was to arrest your father for the bad things he did. I don't know if you can understand that or not but he does care about you guys. I hope that you will care about him, too, one day."

"Lulu, I do care about him. I like that he is my brother. He saved me and dad and you even though he didn't have to," Morgan said again. He paused for a bit then asked, "Do you think he would like it if I went to see him?"

"He would love for you to visit him. Do you want me to go with you?"

"Yes. Thanks, Lulu," he looked at her. She gave him a big hug and they left the waiting room, the Danish and coffee remained on the coffee table.

They walked in silence until they got to Dante's door. She paused them then and said, "We need to be quiet because he could be sleeping. But there are chairs in there so we can wait until he wakes up." Morgan didn't say anything. He opened the door quietly and walked into Dante's room.

Dante stirred a bit and turned his head to the right side of the bed, where Lulu's chair still resided. This time, he didn't see Lulu but another face that looked somewhat like his own when he was a kid.

"Morgan?" he asked weakly, his eyes were almost completely open.

"Yeah, it's me. Did we wake you?" Morgan asked.

"No, I wasn't asleep," he replied, a smile started to cross Dante's face.

"Lulu said it was okay to visit you. Are you feeling okay?" Morgan asked.

"Oh, yeah, never better. You should know by now that I'm Superman," Dante smiled and winked at Morgan. "I'll be out of here in no time and then we can go see a Yankees game."

"Uh, I don't think you're that well because baseball season is over."

"I know. I was just messin' with you. But I promise to take you next season, okay?"

"Cool," Morgan answered enthused. His face was full of color now. But Lulu hadn't planned on dealing with the next thing that Morgan said, "I'm glad that you're my brother."

Uh, oh, Lulu thought. She looked squarely at Dante and saw the immediate confusion cross is face.

"Brother?" he said to her.

"Um, well, yes," she had no idea how to respond.

Morgan saw the confusion in Dante's face and looked back at Lulu, who was behind him, and saw the surprise in hers.

"He doesn't know that we're brothers?" Morgan asked her as she stammered her response to Dante.

"Not until now," was all she could get out.

Morgan looked back at Dante and said, "I'm your brother and so is Michael and Kristina is our sister."

Dante could not believe what he was hearing. He looked from Morgan to Lulu. He needed some clarification.

"Oh, boy. Okay, Olivia was supposed to tell you but I forgot to tell Morgan that you didn't know yet," she paused for a moment, "Sonny is your father." She let out the breathe she'd been holding since Morgan's reveal.

"Sonny is my father?" Dante's voice reflected confusion, unbelief and aggravation all rolled into one.

"Yeah, we're family," Morgan replied.

"Family," Dante whispered to no one in particular. Then, a few moments of silence later, he asked Lulu, "So, I assume that Sonny knows."

"Yes," she responded.

"That's why he was in here earlier," he said to her.

"Yes," she said again.

"So that makes sense now but why didn't anyone tell me then?" he asked.

"It was Olivia's call and I agreed with her at the time," Lulu answered. Lulu's hands were resting on Morgan's shoulders, still behind him.

"Dante," Morgan said, breaking Dante's & Lulu's conversation, "I want you to know that what dad did I think was wrong and that I'm glad we're brothers no matter what happens."

Dante looked directly into Morgan's eyes and said, "Me, too, Morgan. Hey, I need to get a little rest now. Is it okay if you come back later?"

"Yep. And I know that you want me to leave because you just found out that I'm your brother and probably want to ask Lulu more questions. I was surprised and confused, too, when I was told," Morgan said.

"You're a smart kid, Morgan," Dante said, as he messed Morgan's hair with his right hand. "We'll hang out later."

"I know," Morgan said, exuding a little of Dante's confidence, "I'll see you later." Morgan jumped off the chair and left the room, smiling back at Dante as he closed the door.

"Lulu, he's my brother," Dante said to his love with a smile. The smile left when he said, "But Sonny is my father."

"I know. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner but – " Lulu started to say but Dante held up his hand to stop her.

"I'm not mad at you for not telling me. I know you wanted to tell me earlier but couldn't. I just wish I understood all this," he said matter-of-factly.

"Dante, I have no idea what to say or do or how you are even feeling right now," she said.

"Well, I'm not feeling much of anything. These pain meds are good stuff," he joked with her.

"Dante," she laughed and whispered at the same time.

"Seriously, you should try it. I think it's good to be numb right now," he said jokingly. "Nah, it's so unbelievable that all this time I was trying to bust my father."

Lulu reached and took his hand in hers again but didn't say anything. She was at a loss for words right now.

"My father," he said again. "I never thought those words would come from my mouth." He looked at her and then said inquisitively and unbelievingly, "but Sonny? Really?"

"Yes. All I know is that Olivia kept that from you all this time because she wanted you to have nothing to do with the mob," Lulu answered truthfully, "but I don't think she saw this coming."

"She had to, Lulu," Dante responded, "She had to see at least something like this coming when I first came to Port Charles. I don't know maybe if I knew then this wouldn't –" Lulu stopped him from continuing.

"No. Don't even think about that now. We don't know what would've happened," Lulu said. "I don't agree with what Olivia did or many of her decisions, believe me, your mom is not my favorite person right now, but you don't need to be thinking about what could've been."

Dante just stared at Lulu for a few moments, then said with a slight smile on his face, "What would I do without you in my life?"

"I shudder to think," she smiled back.

"No, I'm serious Lulu," he said as he rubbed her hand in his. "You are the only person in my life that I can trust. You have my back. You have stood by me. You don't let me forget who I am and you don't let others forget it either. Lulu, you are my rock and I don't ever want to know what life is like without you in it."

Lulu had never known Dante to tear up but he was now. She'd witnessed raw emotion in those big brown eyes of his but never tears; he was too stubborn a man for that. But now, when he was so vulnerable, he was letting those walls down in front of her. It made her tear up, too.

"You won't have to, ever, if I have anything to say about it," she said, a tear escaping her eyes. She leaned close to him and he met her lips with his, lifting his head from his pillow. They kissed gently for a few seconds and she pressed her lips a little deeper into his, forcing his head back to his pillow as she moved herself to almost lay beside him in the bed and her right hand caressing his hair and the left side of his face. Their other hands were still holding together. The kiss was slow and tender but deep. It lasted for a short while, about 15 seconds, before she pulled away slightly to breathe, her face hovering over his. She breathed to him, "You are my rock, too, Dante. There is no other man I've ever let in like I have you. And no other man I will ever let in like I have you." She looked directly into his eyes as she said it and he could see that she was just as in love with him truly as he was with her. It had finally happened, he thought. Lulu Spencer was his first and only true love.

She went in to kiss him again but was stopped short by the sound of the door latch sounding. She turned her head to the door in time to see it open widely to reveal the person she hated the most at the moment and for the foreseeable future.

Dante's father, haggard-looking but composed, was standing at the entrance. Sonny had come to meet his firstborn son.


	7. Chapter 7

Lulu turned back to Dante and said, "If you want me to stay I will."

"No," he said softly to her as Sonny remained at the doorway. "I need to see him eventually. Besides I doubt he'll shoot me again since he knows that I'm his son."

"Okay. I'll be right outside the door though," she started.

"Warding off all the bad people, I assume," he joked with her.

"Stop," she said flirtatiously before she gave him two short kisses and walked out of the room. She stopped as she got to Sonny and looked at him directly, "Don't upset him." She didn't wait for a response and she didn't want one.

Sonny shut the door behind her and went to Dante's bedside. He stayed a little back from where Lulu's chair was so as not to get too close. He looked at Dante but didn't know what to say. Dante looked back for a moment then dropped his short gaze and said, "So you're my father, huh?" As he said it, a slight anger began to creep up inside him and his eyes narrowed slightly when he looked back into Sonny's.

"Yeah, you're my son," Sonny replied in his usual matter of fact voice. There was no inflection in it but his eyes did not reflect their usual stone cold stare. Dante could see they were softer somehow but, surprisingly, he didn't feel any sympathy for him. He hadn't really felt much of anything after Morgan's revelation from earlier; not until now. Dante was livid at the sight of Sonny. At the moment of first staring into Sonny's brown eyes, he felt pure disgust that the man standing at his bedside was his biological father.

"I didn't know," Sonny started to say but Dante waved him off.

"It doesn't matter, Sonny. It doesn't matter," Dante's voice was firm in volume but trembling with emotion. Dante could not look at the man that conceived him and stayed silent for a few moments.

Sonny broke the silence, "I wouldn't have done what I did, if I knew," Sonny stopped himself. As strong and as reserved as he'd been in the past when presented with traumatic situations, he found himself wavering, his voice cracking as he tried to speak the words.

"What? You can't say it? You can't say that you shot your son, at point blank range? Oh, come on, Sonny," Dante goaded, "I'm sure it wasn't the first time you've killed or tried to kill a cop."

"I didn't know you were my son," Sonny's voice was raised and trembling.

"Does that really matter? Does it really matter that I am now?" Dante asked, not looking for a response. His voice was raised and angry but it was as solid as a rock. "You had no intention of not shooting me even when you knew I was a cop and would go down for murder. You knew I had the evidence but were cocky enough still to think that with me gone, that it didn't matter. You, son of a," Dante's anger had gotten control of him and before he could finish, his heart monitor started beating rapidly and his head began to hurt.

Lulu heard Dante's raised voice and ran into the room, "What is going on?" she asked, pushing Sonny out of the way. Dante was shaking and flustered, his hands on his head, as Lulu got to his bedside and tried to calm him. She looked back at Sonny, "Get out, Sonny! Just go!" He didn't flinch but left the room. A few moments later, Patrick came in.

"What's wrong?" He had rushed to the side of the bed opposite Lulu.

"I don't know. I heard Dante get upset and heard the machine go off. When I came in he was shaking and flustered," Lulu said quickly.

Dante was calmer now but breathing heavily. He said through breaths, "I can't see him. I don't want to see him yet."

"See who?" Patrick asked.

"Sonny," Lulu answered. "He was talking to him when he got upset."

Dante's eyes were closed, his breath a little less erratic, when he added, "I thought I could handle it, seeing him. But just kept seeing him pull the trigger, his eyes, his eyes were," Dante couldn't finish as tears escaped his eyelids. He made no sound but the tears ran down his cheeks like waterfalls.

"Okay, I've heard enough. You are under too much stress and have had too many visitors in the short time you've been awake," Patrick said, very concerned at his patient's mental state. "I'm cutting off visiting hours for you for today. You are going to rest. I'm going to give you a sedative that will make you sleep."

"Patrick, can I stay with him?" Lulu pleaded, her heart aching at Dante's outburst.

"We don't usually do that but since you seem to be the only one to calm him, I'll allow it," he looked at her squarely. "He will be sedated so he will be sleeping for quite awhile. It would be a good time for you to get some sleep as well and it's hard to sleep in these hospital chairs."

"I don't care. You just told me that I can stay so I'm going to," Lulu informed Patrick. She looked back at Dante, his eyes closed again but the tears had stopped. There was no way she was going to leave Dante now, even if Patrick had forbid her to stay.

"Alright, I'll get the nurse in here shortly to administer the sedative. Until it wears off, Lulu, he is to have no visitors," Patrick instructed. "I'll also give the message to the nurse's station."

"Thanks, Patrick," Lulu said without looking at Patrick. Her gaze was fixed on Dante and would stay there until the sedative the nurse gave him five minutes later had put him to sleep. Lulu pulled up the larger recliner from the corner of the room, tucked her legs under herself on it and folded her arms on Dante's bed near his head, laying her head on her arms like a pillow. She stayed there until morning.


	8. Chapter 8

The sunlight peeking through the blinds directed Dante's lazily opening eyes to Lulu's golden blonde head resting next to his. She is my light, he thought to himself. Her face was turned toward his, resting on her arms just as she had laid it. He brushed the long bangs away from her face so he could see her beautiful ivory skin. You needed to sleep more than I did, he whispered to himself. Lulu stirred a bit then and started to lift her head. She winced slightly as she felt the soreness start to creep into her neck muscles. Her eyes fluttered open and focused directly in front of her. Dante was wide awake, his eyes looking softly at her and his lips forming an easy smile.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said through the smile.

"Good morning," she said sleepily, stretching a little. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," he stated truthfully.

"It's morning," Lulu said again but this time with a note of sarcasm.

"What clued you in to that? The sunlight filtering in through the blinds, hitting your hair just so it shines like the sun…"

"Okay, they need to give you a little less morphine," Lulu giggled.

"What? Don't you like my cheesy lines?" Dante was still smiling.

"I wouldn't say that I like them but that wasn't a cheesy line," she smiled back at him, "I don't know what that was."

"Give a guy a break. I mean, I just got shot and I'm on all these pain meds, which by the way are nice," he joked.

Lulu couldn't do anything but laugh at that point.

"I missed your laugh," Dante said, settling the moment a bit. Lulu looked at him and leaned in to give him two kisses.

"I missed you," she said.

In the next moment, Patrick walked in the room with Epiphany in tow.

"Well, good morning. Good to see you both awake," he said then motioned to Lulu, "I see that you finally got some sleep as well, Lulu."

"Yeah, a little," Lulu answered.

"A little? The girl was out! I tried to shake her and push her head off the bed since it was invading my space…" Dante joked.

"Don't listen to him. The medication is making him delusional," Lulu retorted.

"Yeah, well, it's good to see you rested, too, Dante, but right now, you," he pointed to Lulu, "need to leave for a bit. We need to check Dante out. I'll let you know when you can come back."

"Okay," she said to Patrick then turned to Dante, "Be nice."

"I'm always nice," Dante said.

"Mmmm, hmmmm," Epiphany interjected, a knowing look crossing her face at Dante's.

"See," Lulu answered sarcastically, "Epiphany knows." He grabbed her hand softly as she walked away. She looked back but kept walking, their hands sliding gently over each other. He let out a deep breath of satisfaction as she exited the room and closed the door.

Patrick & Epiphany ran through a few minor procedures: blood pressure, reflex, pulse. Then Epiphany started to open Dante's upper gown.

"Be careful, now," Dante warned, "you might get too excited with what you see. I don't need my nurse to faint."

"Mmmm, hmmmm. Well, I doubt that I'd faint at the sight of a gunshot wound," Epiphany rolled off her tongue easily then added, "plus I've seen this all before. Not that impressive."

"Hey," Dante acted hurt, "that hurts my feelings."

At that point, Epiphany and Patrick almost had the bandage on Dante's chest removed. Patrick took a look at it for a few moments and had Epiphany make a notation on Dante's chart. She started to change Dante's bandage.

"So, Doc, how am I doing?" Dante asked.

"Everything is looking good so far. You're blood pressure is a little high but it's nothing to be concerned about. We're going to monitor you closely for the next few days to make sure you don't develop any infections. Otherwise, the incision is starting to heal nicely," Patrick told him.

"So, I can be out of here in a few days?" Dante said hopefully, his eyebrows rose in anticipation.

"Oh, no. You'll be in here for a few weeks," Patrick said truthfully, "the bullet was lodged very closely to your spinal chord and that is going to take some time to process and heal, and a little physical therapy here at the hospital before we let you go home. This was a serious injury and you need all the rest you can get."

"A couple weeks?" Dante had focused on those three words almost solely. He was not excited to be laid up for so long even though he could feel his body needed it.

"Look on the bright side," Epiphany interjected, with a smirk, "you get me as your nurse for all that time." She had just finished changing Dante's bandage.

"Oh, joy," Dante answered facetiously.

"I'm going to let you have a few visitors and then you will need to rest again," Patrick said before he and Epiphany left Dante's room. Lulu entered moments later.

"So, did Epiphany give you a sponge bath?" she joked.

"No, but I think she wanted to. I told her that was your sole responsibility and I wouldn't want to deprive you of that luxury," he joked with her, that signature smile playing upon his lips.

"Oh, really," Lulu smiled back, "Well, I give good sponge baths but I'm not sure you deserve one, yet."

"I just got shot. Doesn't that count for something?" Dante smiled back.

Before Lulu could answer, Kristina approached Dante's doorway. Dante noticed the young lady that he now would call his sister and said, "You can come in." Lulu looked back as Kristina entered and stood at the end of the bed, a little nervous to get too close.

"So," Kristina started, "You're my brother."

"Yes," he answered.

"Dad shot you. Are you mad at him?" she said and asked rapidly, her eyes hadn't left Dante's.

"Yes, and yes but I'm also confused," Dante answered her truthfully.

"How are you confused? Dad shot you and you almost died. They told me you did during surgery," Kristina said with anger and fear across her face.

Dante motioned for Kristina to come closer to him. She moved to the opposite side of the bed to Lulu, even though Lulu had started to move to let Kristina sit where she did.

"Sonny didn't know that I was his son when he shot me…and I didn't know he was my father. And add the fact that he shot me knowing that I was a cop, it makes everything a little confusing," he started to explain.

"What's confusing? He still shot a cop in cold blood! Theirs is nothing right about that," Kristina was almost screaming.

"Kristina," Lulu interjected, "Calm down. Dante doesn't need…"

Dante looked at Lulu lovingly and stopped her speech, "Lulu, it's okay. I'm fine. Let her talk."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't get so angry when you're recovering still," Kristina realized.

"No, it's okay Kristina. I understand your anger. It's okay to be angry with Sonny but though I'm angry too, I know that he would do anything for his kids, including you," Dante started to say again.

"It's not right, though, Dante. Michael got shot because of him. Then he shoots you, who end up being his son. And even before that, he knew that you were a cop. That's Murder one…even Molly knows that," Kristina argued.

"You're right, Kristina, but right now the only thing I know for sure is that I'm happy that I have a sister and two brothers. A whole family. Before, it was just me and my mom," Dante said.

Kristina's face softened, "Yeah, it's nice to know that I have a brother who's a cop. You were always nice to me and protective of me and Morgan and Michael," Kristina stopped briefly, obviously thinking about something. "I'm not sure about Michael, though. He may still hate you. I don't understand that."

"I know. Michael has had a lot of heavy stuff happen to him that he's still dealing with. I'm not worried about Michael hating me. All I know is that he's my brother now like you're my sister and that still makes me glad," he responded.

"I'm glad you didn't die, Dante. But I will never understand or love my dad for what he did to you and what he does," she stated. "I have to go but I want to come back later."

"I'd like that, sis," Dante said, smiling.

Kristina smiled back for the first time since she entered the room, "Bye."

Dante rested his head back on his pillow from it's left facing position and breathed a sigh. Lulu reached for his right hand again, cupping hers in his and rubbed his forearm with her other hand. He turned towards her.

"Well," she said, "two down one to go." He looked at her knowingly and breathed, "Michael."


	9. Chapter 9

Lulu left Dante's room after he had fallen asleep again. Though she had no desire to leave his side, Lulu knew Dante truly needed to rest uninterrupted. All her inhibitions left her the moment she knew he'd been shot. She hadn't cared who or why at first; nothing mattered to her at that point except for Dante. In that moment, she felt herself enter a place of adulthood that she'd never known before. None of her immature concerns, patterns or the shoddy walls around her heart existed anymore. In their place was a love for a man so complete that she needed nothing else to sustain her. For the first time in Lulu's adult life, she was truly in love with a man who loved her back just as much. She felt whole for the first time, too; and she had Dante to thank for that.

Lulu had been sitting in the waiting room with the door closed for about twenty minutes, thankful that it was completely empty this time. She wasn't sure how long it would be empty but she laid herself across the couch anyway, lost in thought. It was the first time in three days she had even allowed herself to lay down or her body to relax at all. The tenseness she felt in her muscles gradually released with each minute she just lay there, still. Her mind, however, was racing as it had been and the new topic was Michael.

He hated Dominic. She wondered how he would now feel about Dante. Dante was still Dominic in many ways; and she wasn't sure how that would affect Michael or change his mind. As much as she wanted to slap Michael again, she knew that what Dante said to Kristina was right: Michael was still dealing with so many things that he just couldn't think very clearly or rationally. She despised the hatefulness she saw in his eyes towards Dante, even as she called him out yesterday in front of everyone. He was the only one that clearly didn't accept the news that Dante was a Corinthos, part of his family, his brother.

It was ironic, she thought to herself, that in the moments she was screaming at Michael that he reminded her of AJ, not Sonny. Her cousin was acting just like his biological father at the same time he was identifying himself as his adoptive father's firstborn. Only, she realized for the first time, he isn't Sonny's firstborn anymore. Dante is – and that is another burden that has been piled on Michael, she mused. At that moment, she started to see Michael from Dante's point-of-view. As much as she knew Dante didn't like Michael's hatred toward him, he knew that Michael couldn't help it right now. Not only had Dante's entire life been a lie, but so had Michael's.

Though she was just as angry with Michael as she was with Sonny, Lulu began to understand where Michael's anger was coming from and why. What concerned her though was how Michael's situation was going to affect Dante, if there was even a chance that Michael would ever accept Dante as his brother. In a way, Michael was both like AJ and Sonny. Both men had the overwhelming capacity to hold grudges; and Michael had demonstrated that likeness with more passion than Lulu had ever experienced from either of his two fathers. Was Michael ever going to get past this latest trauma in his life? Or would Dante and Michael always be on opposing sides? She feared that brother would be pit against brother in family position and law. If there was one thing she knew for sure, it was that Michael wasn't going to give up his pursuit to take over his father's business. That would put Michael and Dante on opposite sides of the law. There was something too biblical about it and she didn't like it one bit. It all made her head hurt.

She rubbed her temples then and thought about getting some aspirin but she was too tired to move. As if on cue, Lucky entered the room and saw his sister's discomfort.

"Lulu, are you okay?" Lucky asked immediately.

"No, I have a headache," she said.

"I'll get you some aspirin," Lucky said. He was gone for only a few minutes, returning with the medicine and a glass of water. She sat up to take them.

"Thanks, Lucky," she said after she'd taken them.

"So, how's our boy, doing?" he asked, sitting on the coffee table in front of her. "He was asleep when I just went to see him." Lucky and Dante had become good friends since Lucky found out Dante was undercover in Sonny's organization. Both men respected the other's person and skill in their choice of profession.

"He's okay. Confused and hurt but okay," she responded.

"I feel bad that I didn't know right away, I was at Jake's," he started to explain.

"Lucky, I don't want to know where you were or what you were doing there," she said tiredly, "you have your own life and own problems and make your own decisions. I love you but right now what is going on with you and Elizabeth and Nicholas doesn't concern me. My only concern right now is for Dante and him getting better."

"I know. I understand," he replied, realizing his sister was right in where her concern lied. "I just wish I knew how to help you."

"You can make sure that Sonny goes to jail for a long, long time," she said, looking him squarely in the eye. There was an intensity in her gaze that he'd never seen before.

"Well, he shot a cop in cold blood and murdered his wife. I don't think Sonny is going to be free any time soon," he said.

"I still don't trust it. Sonny gets off all the time. He always finds a way to slip through the cracks," Lulu said, worry now in her voice.

"He won't this time. He shot a cop, Lulu. Even though Dante lived, Sonny is going to go down for a long time," he said, then added, "in addition to that, we have proof that he killed Claudia. There is no way he is going to get off scot-free."

"I hope you're right," Lulu said, tears started to form in her eyes. "If there is one thing that I agree with Olivia about right now it's that Sonny doesn't deserve to be any part of Dante's life. I don't want Dante to be anywhere near Sonny."

"Lulu," Lucky started, "Dante is Sonny's son. You have to realize that now they both know that, there will always be a connection between them. Putting Sonny in jail is not going to make that go away."

"I get that but Sonny's presence in his kid's lives has done nothing good for any of them. At least if he's behind bars, he can't hurt them anymore," Lulu had succumbed to the tears that welled in her eyes and was crying now. Lucky leaned forward and took his sister into a tight embrace, letting her cry on his shoulder. It was the first time since Franco's bomb that they'd hugged like this; and it was the first time since their mom had entered Shadybrook that he'd seen Lulu cry like this. His heart broke for her; and he realized then she was truly in love for the first time in her life – the type of love that he knew well and had lost so painfully. He resolved then and there to do what he could to ensure his sister wouldn't experience that kind of heartache, even if that meant taking Sonny down himself.

Last chapter: Michael, Lulu, Dante

Story continued in "Dante's Opera"


	10. Chapter 10

Last chapter: Michael, Lulu, Dante

Story continued in "Dante's Opera"

Dante was still asleep when Michael entered his room. He closed the door quietly behind him and stood at the foot of the bed, watching Dante sleep. Michael didn't know what to do or say to him. The man he so hated and wanted out of Sonny's organization was not only a cop but was his brother. How was he supposed to feel now? Relief? Anger? Love? In front of me is the man that I almost had killed, he said aloud in a barely conscious whisper, my brother. He whispered again, but louder, "My brother."

Dante didn't stir. He was in a deep sleep and Michael's presence wasn't enough to interrupt his slumber. Michael leaned forward to the edge of the bed and hung his head as his hands rested near Dante's feet. He was still standing. He just didn't know how to feel or what was right or wrong anymore. Then he looked at Dante again and realized that just a few months ago, he had been in the same position – in a hospital bed fighting for his life because of his father's business. The similarity of Dante's situation hit him hard and his eyes started to water. I know where he is, Michael thought to himself; I know what it feels like. Somehow though he knew it was also very different. His shooting was and accident; Dante's was intentional and set in motion by Michael. This is my fault, he realized. It is my fault. As was Michael's new tendency, he began to blame himself for everything that had happened to Dante, and to his father.

Dad, he thought, oh, Dad what did I do? He remembered Sonny's grief when he walked off the elevator in the hospital and Sonny immediately hugged him so tightly saying with shaky words, "My sons." Again, Michael's actions had caused his father sorrow and grief. If I'd only told Dad about Claudia," he said aloud in his normal voice, tears now streaming down his face while back looking at the ground.

He hadn't noticed Dante awakening. Michael was full on crying now.

"It wasn't your fault," Dante said weakly. "It wasn't your fault, Michael."

Michael looked up then at his new brother. Michaels eyes were red; his cheeks hot. Dante's eyes were still opening but he knew the voice. Michael stayed silent. He still didn't know what to say or feel, except for guilt.

Dante was awake now and said then, "Come closer, Michael."

"I don't want to. I'm not sure," Michael said, truly confused.

"It's okay," Dante reassured, "I don't bite." He tried to get Michael to laugh.

"I just don't know yet, Dom…Dante," Michael responded. "I don't know how to feel yet. I don't know why I'm even here."

Dante let Michael process for a few seconds, then said, "I don't either. I don't understand any of this. The only thing I know right now is that you and Morgan and Kristina are my family now. That's all that I can process. And you don't have to make any decisions or have any feelings one way or the other yet."

"I hated you, Dante. I hated you and maybe still do. Dad was so impressed and came to respect you in the organization over me. I hated you for that. I wanted you gone and I knew that meant that you'd probably be killed. I was okay with that. Now, you're my brother. We have the same dad. How am I supposed to feel? What am I supposed to do with that?"

"I don't know, Michael," Dante said, "as much as I'd like to tell you how you should feel, I can't." Dante paused then added, "I can only tell you how I feel, and it's that though you love Sonny I don't know how I can yet. All I see is him pulling the trigger, Michael."

Michael was listening intently to Dante's every word for the first time. He didn't fly off the handle as he was accustomed to mainly because he really had no idea how to react to anything.

Dante continued, "Sonny is our father but it doesn't change the fact that he stood there and was willing to kill me for betraying him, regardless of if I'd saved him or Morgan or Lulu or had shown that I could be trusted. He didn't hesitate, Michael."

Michael spoke up then and began to argue, "If dad knew who you really were, he wouldn't have shot you or even pulled a gun on you."

"You don't know that," Dante answered.

"Yes, I do. He wouldn't hurt any of us," Michael said.

"His organization has already hurt you, Michael. And Kristina and Morgan. Now, me, at point blank range," Dante had put his fist softly on his chest, drawing Michael's eyes to Dante's wound.

"It wasn't intentional," Michael argued.

"It was intentional for me," Dante's voice had not raised at any point when talking to Michael, and it didn't now. "In a way, it will always be intentional because it's the nature of Sonny's business to be dangerous. You have to start seeing that, Michael. You have to start taking the blinders off. Nothing that has happened is not because of Sonny. He chose this life Michael, so he chose to let these things happen."

The love Michael had for Sonny and the business was very strong, and it was beginning to surface now. He couldn't see Sonny's guilt or choices as the reasons for all the bad things happening. The only thing that Michael could see is that he hadn't told his dad about Claudia soon enough. All of these things that were set in motion were his own fault, including Dante getting shot.

"It's not Dad's fault," Michael insisted. "Whether you're his son or not, you still don't deserve to take over the business or dad's respect. You don't respect him and I can see that now. You don't deserve to be his son." With that, Michael left Dante's room almost running into Lulu in the hallway.

Lulu walked briskly to Dante's bedside and asked, "Are you okay? What happened with Michael?"

"Nothing. It's fine. He's just really confused right now," Dante said.

"What did he say?" Lulu asked.

"I think he's blaming himself for everything. E's so messed up and so angry that I don't think he knows really what to do," Dante said. "I just don't know what to do for him."

Lulu was sitting in the chair at Dante's bedside now. She grabbed his hand with hers and said, "You will. You just have to let Michael figure a few things out. As angry as I still am at him and his attitude, I realize that I have no idea how'd I react in his situation." She paused for a few moments, looking down at Dante's hand in hers, then back up to him, and said, "I was the first one to see him wake up, too. The confusion that was there then I still see in his eyes now. So as much as I want to slap him again for even worrying you, I know that I can't do that. I know that he's still messed up and needs more time to heal."

"When did you get so smart?" Dante smiled. "Maybe you should be a psychologist and give us all therapy."

Lulu laughed then and said, "Hmmm, if I think about it, I'd be rich with all the sessions you'd have to take alone."

"Alone?" Dante's smile widened, his eyebrows raised. "Well, what kind of therapy would that entail?"

"Well, a little of this," Lulu leaned in to Dante and gave him two slow kisses, "and a little of this," she said again before she kissed him again. This time, Dante reached his hand behind her head and kept her lips there. He pulled her deeper into the kiss as his tongue parted their lips. As was their experience, no sooner had they started to get more passionate with their kiss than his door opened again and his mom came in.

Lulu whispered into Dante's mouth, "We have got to start locking doors and turning off cell phones."

Dante laughed, as Olivia offered her apology.

"No, Ma," he said, "Come in. We have a lot to talk about."


End file.
